Three decades ago, the California Central Coast had yet to emerge as one of North America’s world-class winegrowing regions. With little history or viticultural precedent, planting on the Central Coast was a gamble. One of an early handful of pioneers, Jerry Lohr was among the first to realize the vast, untapped potential of this now-acclaimed region with the establishment of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines.

In the late 1960s, Jerry began an extensive investigation of California grape growing regions while searching for the ideal location for a vineyard. Raised on a South Dakota farm, his agricultural roots armed him with an innate sense for the intricacies of climate, soil quality and location. His research and instincts led him to the Central Coast, a unique location with one of the longest growing seasons in all of California. Selecting the Arroyo Seco appellation of Monterey County for his first vineyard, Jerry planted his original 280 acres of varietal grapes in 1972 and 1973, and unveiled his San Jose winery in 1974.

J. Lohr remains one of the few estate-focused wineries of its size, and one of the last substantial independents to benefit from the longevity of management and the passion of a second generation of family members. Though it is operated with the loving care of a boutique winery, J. Lohr welcomes guests at two wine centers, one in San Jose and another in Paso Robles.

Jeff Meier’s legacy as a world-class winemaker has seen him through twenty-five harvests with J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, and today as the EVP/COO for J. Lohr Winery, Jeff directs all aspects of winemaking, while also leading efforts in sales, marketing, operations and production.

Viticulture has been a part of Jeff’s life since his childhood. Raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Jeff would often accompany his parents on wine tasting trips to Napa and Sonoma counties during his youth. Although he was too young to taste, Jeff fell in love with the beauty and tranquility of the vineyards, which led to a lifelong passion for wine. This passion eventually steered Jeff to the University of California, Davis, where he was inspired to become a winemaker and earn a degree in viticulture and enology.

In 1984, after a brief stint as a sales representative for a wine and spirits distributor, Jeff went to work harvest at J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines. Recognized for his aptitude and education, Jeff was offered the position of bottling line supervisor. Two years later, he was promoted to assistant winemaker. Jeff quickly became active in every aspect of the winemaking process, and in 1995, eleven years after he worked his first harvest, Jeff was appointed winemaker.

With over a quarter century of experience in the California wine industry, Jeff understands that some of his most valuable time is spent in the vineyards. Jeff’s winemaking values go to the core of Jerry Lohr’s grape growing philosophy: that the quality of wine is directly related to what goes into the vineyards. Jeff believes a winemaker is truly a tenant of the earth, acknowledging, “There’s not a heck of a lot I can do as a winemaker to make great wine out of poor starting material.”

Jeff asserts, “Having estate vineyards gives J. Lohr an advantage. Because we have complete control over our vineyards, we can develop each block with the right clones and rootstock, and monitor our yields to maximize grape flavor. Because of our experience and experimentation, we are able to consistently harvest exceptional fruit, and in turn these grapes allow us to make wines of greater intensity and finesse.”

An active member of the American Society of Enology and Viticulture, Jeff is also working on tannin management experiments in conjunction with the University of California, Davis. Constantly challenging himself, he enjoys the freedom to experiment creatively. Jeff’s staunch commitment to making the absolute best wines he can is reflected in his work and the rich flavorful depth of the J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines portfolio. This portfolio, which Jeff has helped to develop in partnership with Jerry Lohr, has yielded such celebrated brands as J. Lohr Estates, J. Lohr Vineyard Series and J. Lohr Cuvée Series, each invoking the best possible flavors from J. Lohr’s 3,000 acres of estate vineyards.

“With wine there is a sense of something — of place, of people, of Mother Nature, of soul. In its creation comes a winemaker’s collection of life experiences to guide and nurture and interpret each vintage and its opportunities to create something new, something genuine. Just a simple bottle with someone’s heart and soul inside,